Loading...
An investigation of the origins of cattle and aurochs deposited in the Early Bronze Age barrows at Gayhurst and Irthlingborough
Towers, Jacqueline R. ; Montgomery, Janet ; Evans, J. ; Jay, Mandy ; Parker Pearson, M.
Towers, Jacqueline R.
Montgomery, Janet
Evans, J.
Jay, Mandy
Parker Pearson, M.
Publication Date
2010-03
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
© 2009 Elsevier. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
12/10/2009
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Additional title
Abstract
The Early Bronze Age round barrows at Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire and Gayhurst, Buckinghamshire contained remarkably large quantities of cattle (Bos taurus) remains. At Irthlingborough, at least 185 skulls with smaller numbers of mandibles, shoulder blades and pelves were found together with a small number of skeletal elements from aurochs (Bos primigenius). In contrast, the remains from Gayhurst are dominated by the limb bones from more than 300 animals. This study employed strontium isotope ratio analysis of cattle tooth enamel from 15 cattle and one aurochs to investigate the diversity of the animals’ origins at both sites and provide insights into Early Bronze Age funerary practices. Although strontium results show that most of the cattle and the aurochs included in this study were consistent with local origins, one animal from each barrow was born remotely, most likely in western Britain. In addition, a second Gayhurst animal was consistent with origins in a region of chalk rather than the local Jurassic sediments.
Version
Accepted manuscript
Citation
Towers J, Montgomery J, Evans J et al (2010) An investigation of the origins of cattle and aurochs deposited in the Early Bronze Age barrows at Gayhurst and Irthlingborough. Journal of Archaeological Science. 37(3): 508-515.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article